Torque management in a vehicle powertrain can be problematic in certain situations, including where a vehicle is attempting to climb an obstacle, such as a curb. For example, electric-powered powertrains are susceptible to an electric component, e.g., a motor, overheating if power, i.e., torque, is applied for an extended period of time while the component is not moving (i.e., it is stalled on one set of windings). In such a situation, e.g., where attempting to climb a curb, a vehicle operator may attempt to slowly climb over the curb so that the vehicle does not over-accelerate when the curb is cleared. However, a result of slowly applying torque may be to cause the vehicle to be in a motor stall situation long enough to activate a thermal protection strategy wherein power is cut, thus preventing the vehicle from climbing an obstacle such as a curb.